Greetings Emmaus Family!
Each year I’m in this community, my “family” never ceases to amaze me. Your love and support for our new “brothers and sisters” has truly touched my heart. Your willingness to serve whether helping agape clean after a walk, wash a dish, come to sendoff, serve a meal, or to come hold a candle on a snowy night to show your love for our pilgrims, is what makes this community special. I know these acts of agape touched our pilgrims’ hearts, and so to the community, “Thank You”. I also want to extend my gratitude to Butch Bishop and Sheila Henson for obeying God’s call to lead Walks #106 and #107. Well Done!
I encourage everyone to attend the April gathering. This will be a special time when we sing, worship, and share Holy Communion together. Our pilgrims will also have the opportunity to share 4th Day experiences with us. This is always an exciting night to see and hear how God has moved and touched their lives.
Continue praying for Steve Hart and REC #15; the Nicaraguan community and Rod Brown; the Chrysalis lay directors, Amanda Earles and Mark Ott. And, I have the honor of announcing the two faithful servants that God has called to lead Walk #108 and Walk #109, Fritz and Lydia Giesecke. Praise God for all of these leaders!
Just a little reminder. If you’re interested in working a walk, make sure you have submitted a current volunteer sheet. These sheets are purged every two years. Sometimes the reason we’re not called to work is because of no information on file. For those that just came off the walk, volunteer sheets were in your packet, or they can also be found on our web site.
So Family, I can hardly wait to see you again at Gathering on April 5th at 7:00 PM. You’re in my heart and my prayers. May God bless you!
Behind the Cross,
Wanda Jean Elliott
Walk #47
Table of Deborah
Welcome Pilgrims of Walk 106 and 107
Welcome to the Pilgrims of Men’s Walk 106 and Women’s Walk 107. Please keep them in your prayers as they continue in their Forth Days.
Prayer Time
COUNTRY—LEADERS—WORLD—CHURCHES
· Nicaraguan Community
· Emmaus & Chrysalis Families
· Emmaus & Chrysalis Sponsorship
· Emmaus Lay Directors (Spring 2008)
o Fritz Giesecke (Men’s Walk #108)
o Lydia Giesecke (Women’s Walk #109)
· Chrysalis #42 Directors
o Amanda Earles (Girls)
o Mark Ott (Boys)
Action: Giving our Hands to Christ
From www.upperroom.org
Group Reunion
Reunion groups provide a natural launching pad for mission in the community. Reunion groups are also a support base for acts of agape for Emmaus weekends. Shared engagement in service to others deepens friendships and opens up avenues for Christian action.
Some groups, where members relate to the same church, find a shared ministry within their congregations. Other groups choose to serve together in the kitchen for an Emmaus weekend or make it their mission to set up facilities for Emmaus weekends. Many groups spend time making table agape, creating banners, and writing general agape letters to support their own and other Walks to Emmaus. Some Emmaus groups take on ministries in their local communities.
As valuable as group activities and a sense of common mission can be, Emmaus groups must remember that these efforts are "extracurricular." Always make time for the primary work of the group -- reviewing the service sheet and reflecting on Christ's presence and call.
Emmaus/Chrysalis Celebrations
The Walk to Emmaus International Office helps to sponsor celebratory events all over the US for prior Emmaus participants.
:: Link http://www.upperroom.org/emmaus/fourthday/
:: Link http://www.etownemmaus.org/reuniongroups.php
Spring Clean Up for Heart and Soul
By Julia Bettencourt
"Create in me a clean heart, O God; and renew a right spirit within me." Psalm 51:10
As spring approaches we develop that urge to make everything in our house clean and in order. The winter months have been long and we begin itching to revive our houses and acquire that freshness that we want to invade us as the first signs of spring arrive. Everything outside is singing with new life. The buds are coming out on the trees, birds are chirping, and the daffodils are beginning to bloom. We long to bring that newness into our homes so we begin, most of us by turning our homes upside down as we clean out closets, take things apart, clean and scour. We reach into every dark corner of our homes in order to make it presentable, fresh, and new.
Sometimes we need to do the same thing with our spiritual houses. We need to take stock and clean up and give them a good strong scrubbing. All of us grow stale sometimes and need a spiritual freshening up. Remember as Christians, Who is living in our spiritual houses. The Bible says, "What know ye not that your body is the temple of the Holy Ghost..." I Corinthians 6:19.
Things always get tucked back in the recesses of our spiritual closets that aren't needed. We accumulate grime and dirt on our spiritual floors and walls. From time to time we need to turn our spiritual homes upside down and clean them inside and out in order to present our bodies "a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable unto God." as it says in Romans 12:1. Let's roll up our sleeves and get to work!
Mark Your Calendars
SaturdayApril 5th / Board Meeting
Gathering / 6:00 PM
7:00 PM / Memorial UMC
Saturday
May 3rd / Board Meeting
Gathering / 6:00 PM
7:00 PM / Memorial UMC
May 16th -
May 18th / R.E.C. #15 / North Point
Saturday
June 7th / Board Meeting
Gathering / 6:00 PM
7:00 PM / Memorial UMC
Saturday
July 5th / Board Meeting
Gathering / 6:00 PM
7:00 PM / Memorial UMC
Saturday
August 2nd / Board Meeting
Gathering / 6:00 PM
7:00 PM / Memorial UMC
Saturday
September 6th / Board Meeting
Gathering / 6:00 PM
7:00 PM / Memorial UMC
Saturday
October 4th / Board Meeting
Gathering / 6:00 PM
7:00 PM / Memorial UMC